Two thirds of a million bikes stolen each year in the UK

[MikeG]

From here:

In the UK, 686,000 bicycles are reportedly stolen each year from an estimated pool of 22m.

France is planning to have a registration scheme for all bikes, as part of their efforts to cut down on theft. One suspects they haven't though through all the implications. Either that, or they have hundreds of thousands of civil servants sitting around with nothing to do. Or both.

 

[tom73]

So it's going to be compulsory think the extra admin will be worth it once they get round to taxing them ever year.

 

[numbnuts]

France Considers – did they think that up for themselves or was it a directive from Germany to pass upon the rest of Europe

 

[Drago]

Not that I am a tea leaf or owt, but I can see a teensy weensy flaw in their plan - being registered and taxed doesn't seem to deter the light fingered from helping themselves to other people's cars, so how will it magically prevent bike theft?

In addition, all my bikes are security marked, yet I don't think to myself "blimey Bern, can't wait to get out and grind out a few miles now my bike has been visibly and permanently marked!"

When one considered these w points, one must then consider what the real reason is for doing this?

 

[snorri]

They say it is in an effort to increase cycling.
The possibility of theft is way down on my list of reasons for not using my bike more frequently.

 

[mjr]

I think that bike security is up there with infrastructure and safety on the road as a reason why people choose not to cycle for utility journeys. However, it doesn't seem to be given the same level of attention when these things get discussed. You could have the most super duper infrastructure and I would still prefer to walk or get the bus than leave my bike out for someone to nick it.

It is up there, but in a strange way, in that a lot of people who have a bike nicked give up for at least a year. I think it's about 1 in 4, but I couldn't find the number - I thought it was on www.stolen-bikes.co.uk but I didn't spot it. A similar proportion of people whose bikes are damaged crashing into those infernal obstacles that litter cycleways also give up. They're not cycling enthusiasts and when they suffer these things, they switch to another mode of transport for a while. Some will try again because driving and buses are both bad in other ways and more expensive, but some won't and it's avoidable churn.

Secure parking and storage does get given attention, but it's a strange one. There is no government department or police or developer responsible for the bulk of it in any one place. It's something where you have to keep nudging all of them to do their bit, plus reminding bike owners to actually lock both wheels and frame to secure parking when it's provided. I wonder if it's still the case that the biggest single type of bike theft is bikes left unlocked in people's back gardens or weakly-secured sheds.

 

[tom73]

From reading this it look's even more like a back door way to tax and nothing to do with cutting down on theft.

https://road.cc/content/news/250271-proposed-law-will-make-cyclists-france-register-their-bikes

National database , display markings( AKA numberplate) and carry prove bike is yours every time you ride it.

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I think that bike security is up there with infrastructure and safety on the road as a reason why people choose not to cycle for utility journeys. .

If you use your common sense, and don't buy an expensive bike to leave unattended in dodgy areas, the security risk is minimal. What you can realistically get away with owning and riding depends on what sort of area you live in, and what sort of area you park a bike unattended in. I see some nice shiny machinery locked up with the sort of cable lock I use on a skip bike, so it's not really surprising that a lot of them get stolen! Mine don't get touched because the secondhand value is virtually zero, so no criminal profit to be made.

 

[classic33]

If you use your common sense, and don't buy an expensive bike to leave unattended in dodgy areas, the security risk is minimal. What you can realistically get away with owning and riding depends on what sort of area you live in, and what sort of area you park a bike unattended in. I see some nice shiny machinery locked up with the sort of cable lock I use on a skip bike, so it's not really surprising that a lot of them get stolen! Mine don't get touched because the secondhand value is virtually zero, so no criminal profit to be made.

Was offered a £3,500 mountain bike for £200. I was aware of the value of the bike being offered, the seller wasn't. Left it alone and informed the police.

Those that pinch them seldom know the proper value and care even less

 

[Deleted member 26715]

One of the things I took from the article was France had 400,000 stolen a year from 21,000,000 2%ish, UK had 686,000 stolen from 22,000,000 3%ish, but a 50% increase. Nearly 2,000 a day that just seems huge.

 

[classic33]

Given that they are legal road vehicles, why isn't more being done to find out who they belong to and who stole them in the first place.

Twice as many bicycles were stolen last year than cars. If (motor)vehicle thefts got that high, how long before demands that something be done?

 

[derrick]

From here:



France is planning to have a registration scheme for all bikes, as part of their efforts to cut down on theft. One suspects they haven't though through all the implications. Either that, or they have hundreds of thousands of civil servants sitting around with nothing to do. Or both.

It's what Ebay was made for,

 

[dutchguylivingintheuk]

What i notice here is that cycle thieves seem to have an obsession with stealing parts of a bike, a see lots of stolen front of backwheels of even the whole front fork. So a registration system would'nt help for that. For whole bikes it does'nt help either as they will just turn up in countries where they don't recognise the system.

 

[mjr]

What i notice here is that cycle thieves seem to have an obsession with stealing parts of a bike, a see lots of stolen front of backwheels of even the whole front fork. So a registration system would'nt help for that. For whole bikes it does'nt help either as they will just turn up in countries where they don't recognise the system.

I agree.

The stolen wheel thing often means someone nearby only locked their wheel and not the frame.

 

[lane]

From here:



France is planning to have a registration scheme for all bikes, as part of their efforts to cut down on theft. One suspects they haven't though through all the implications. Either that, or they have hundreds of thousands of civil servants sitting around with nothing to do. Or both.

Well France is the only country world wide that has civil servents employed to investigate UFO sightings so maybe they do have surplus....